Hope Along the Road

“Never be in a hurry. Do everything quietly with a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset.” St Francis de Sales

Recently, a friend of mine suffered a severe knee injury playing sports. He had surgery and is laid up at home. I, myself, had to handle a situation that made no sense, but I was surrounded by people who loved me and kept me focused on Christ. We do not understand why things happen and we might never get the chance to understand things until the next life. Who wants to wait for answers? Not I, surely, but we continue to wait and to hope. Hope is the last thing we lose, and it is not so easy. I had been cared for by many people and it has been great. Even the little things are amazing such as someone offering to meet me at the airport and host me in another country. These are little surprises that demand awareness. We need to always stay hopeful and we cannot surrender to despair – never.

“The God of the Christians is a God of metamorphosis; you throw your sufferings into His bosom, and you draw out peace; you throw in despair, and you see hope coming to the surface.” St. Padre Pio

It is a beautiful quote but not so easily understood. St. Joseph had to trust when he had that dream about his relationship with Mary. He had to trust! St. Ignatius of Loyola was injured and he wrote what would become the spiritual exercises. He did not know where to turn. Eventually the road ahead opened. But one saint struck me recently. Bl. Benedetta Bianchi Porro was a medical student who diagnosed herself with a degenerative illness. Slowly she lost her senses – sight, hearing and sensation. She was paralyzed at one point, and letters were signed on her cheek to communicate. What agony she must have endured, and I am sure she would ask why. She died in 1964 and is on the road to sainthood. I could write about several saints, and the road brings us always back to Our Lord. There is nowhere else to move towards. Another person worth mentioning is Bl. Theodore Romzha. He was a Catholic bishop who was brutally beaten by the Soviets and later poisoned in the hospital for his refusal to give up his churches. He stood firm in his faith. We need to do the same. Each one of us could mention someone. I write about these because they piqued my curiosity.

“I do not lack hope. I know that at the end of the road, Jesus is waiting for me … I have discovered that God exists, that He is love, faithfulness, joy, certitude, to the end of the ages. My days are not easy. They are hard. But sweet because Jesus is with me.” Bl. Benedetta Porro

We cannot give in to despair. We need to be reminded of this all the time and we need to continue to pray. We can only ask Christ to open our eyes and hearts. He is already beside us waiting and He has the door ajar for us. Even if the door is so narrow, we can always enter. We need to give our faith a chance to work for us. Giving in to anger, resentment and sorrow is not the way. I always think about how joyful the apostles and Mary Magdalene were when they saw the tomb empty. He promises to be with us always.

“Faith lifts the soul. Hope supports it. Experience says it must. And Love says let it be!” St. Elizabeth Ann Seton